Join historian Larry Robinson as he shares his passion and knowledge of the Titanic. May have a special viewing of rare archival silent-movie footage of the Titanic, the Olympic and Titanic’s Captain Edward Smith.

We will be planting at the New Forest in the City site, conducting an infill project.

Timeframe will be from 9:30 (start to get there setup etc), plant when ready, and finish up around 12:00-12:30 depending on how it goes and how many participants we get out. Also, leaving it open to a get together afterwards at Tin Cup for those who want to be social!

All participants are advised to wear boots as the clay ground will be very muddy this time of year.(no open toed shoes)

Long pants and long sleeve shirts are recommended. There are burrs, nettles and ticks on site. Participants should be prepared to tuck pants into socks.

Dress according to the weather. (layered outerwear, hats, sunscreen as required)

Shovels and repellent will be provided, but feel free to bring your own

John and his wife, Marsha (a well-known artist in our community) have two grown daughters. They live on a century farm just south of Paris. Their families have farmed in the area for 6 generations and they are proudly carrying on this tradition of agriculture. They are very involved in the community from volunteering at the Paris Fair to holding music concerts and art shows in their renovated barn. They are also very physically active and have played on and coached numerous sports teams in Paris and Brantford. Upon graduation from the University of Guelph, John worked in Horticultural Sales and Marketing specializing in greenhouse substrates. He has experience with importing and exporting products to and from Canada and has been involved in several company startups. He enjoys the challenges of taking an idea from concept to commercial viability. In 1993, he co-founded Calendar Club of Canada which now has more than 180 stores across Canada specializing in Calendars, Games and Toys. He is Past President of the Brantford Girls Hockey Association and was convener for the 130-team annual Walter Gretzky Girls Hockey Tournament. He was also a member of the fund raising team for the Brant Sportsplex and an active member of the Paris Agricultural Society. He has extensive experience with numerous boards in corporate leadership and governance.

BIO

Adam Shoalts is a professional adventurer. In 2013, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) for “extraordinary contributions to geography” and in 2017 completed a nearly 4,000 km solo journey across Canada’s Arctic. In 2016, he was named a national champion of the Trans-Canada Trail. A geographer and historian, he holds a Ph.D. from McMaster University, has participated in numerous archaeological projects and digs, and enjoys long walks in the woods.

A Glance at the Life of a Modern Day Explorer

Named one of the greatest living explorersand even called “Canada’s Indiana Jones” by the Toronto Star, Adam Shoalts is a professional adventurer.

Shoalts grew up in rural Canada with a forest on his doorstep, and it was there that his father, a woodworker, taught him to love and appreciate trees and plants. Together, they built birch bark canoes, paddles, and anything else that could be crafted from the forest. Later, Shoalts worked as a nature writer and survival instructor, but his passion always remained for just being in the woods.

Shoalts has written about edible mushrooms, deforestation, and watershed pollution in northern Canada. His writing career began with his “Reflections of a Naturalist” column on wild animals and environment issues, which later led to his #1 national best-seller Alone Against the North, the award-winning story of his adventures.

Next to the woods, Shoalts second favourite place growing up was the library. If he wasn’t exploring woods he was exploring books, which led to him graduating from Brock University with an Honour’s B.A. and being named top student in the Humanities. He subsequently completed a Master’s degree and PhD at McMaster University, where his research combined an interest in wild animals, the natural world, history and geography. He has done archaeology in four countries and presented archaeological papers at academic conferences.

Shoalts is a regular guest on television and radio, and his work has been featured in media around the world, including the BBC, CNN, CTV, CBC, and The Guardian. In 2016, Shoalts was named a national champion of the Trans-Canada Trail and in 2018 Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society; although he’s not resident and keeps wandering the woods.

Shoalts has a particular concern for preserving wild places. In 2008, he was presented with the Niagara Region’s environmental award for his work on local watersheds. Shoalts is a popular guest speaker and has entertained audiences at venues across Canada.